Bletchley and Woburn Sands in Milton Keynes to benefit from £1.4m Anglian Water upgrades

Two towns in Milton Keynes are set to undergo major improvements to their water network after an investment of over £1.4m by Anglian Water. Both Bletchley and Woburn Sands will be benefiting from the works, which will take place this year.

In Bletchley, the work – which is set to begin next week and be completed by October – will upgrade the town’s sewer network to ensure customers can “continue to use their taps and flush their toilets without a second thought”. The work will see more than a kilometre of sewer pipes replaced, which will reduce the risks of bursts and leaks that come with having older pipes.

By having used remote CCTV cameras to monitor the state of sewer pipes, Anglian Water have been able to see which pipes need updating to ensure they do not burst and cause problems in terms of pollution and to Milton Keynes households. Anglian Water have said that this will will ” prevent any disruption in sewerage services for local customers, as well as protecting local rivers and wildlife by minimising the risk of pollution”.

Great British Bake Off chef-backed cafe in Milton Keynes faces opposition from neighbours

The scheme, which will last a few months and will not interrupt customer facilities however will see traffic management systems in place, will replace sewer pipes on Shelbourne Avenue, Newton Road, Shelley Drive, Keats Way, Wordsworth Drive, Buckingham Road and Cottingham Grove.

As well as these works in Bletchley, work will also begin on new water pipes in Woburn Sands which will “secure resilient water supplies for the town’s growing population. This work, which will begin in July and end at the end of August, will allow for the company to serve new properties in the Milton Keynes area whilst also maintaining supplies for their existing customers.

As well as these water pipes, replacement work will also take place on the pipe in Cranfield Road which has burst frequently in recent years. By replacing this, local residents will no longer frequently have their supply interrupted.

At the moment, it is predicted the work on Cranfield Road will begin on July 3 to August 18 with the road being closed during this time. There will also be a southbound lane closure in place on Newport Road, between Cranfield Road and Hillway, from July 24 to August 18 for safety reasons, with traffic only able to travel north towards Wavendon during this time.

Road users driving south, towards Woburn will need to follow the diversion route in place and it has been confirmed that footpaths will not be affected by the work and pedestrians will be able to walk past the excavations, which will be fenced off. Flitta bus services will run as usual, but Britannia buses will only be running northbound towards Milton Keynes.

Becky Housden, customer experience coordinator for the project, said: “We operate in the driest region of the country, but the East of England is also one of the fastest growing areas, and we need to ensure there’s enough water for everyone while also protecting the environment. As part of our Water Resources Management Plan, we’re committed to ensuring that everyone in the region has a resilient supply of the highest-quality drinking water.

“This scheme will help us secure this for the new homes being built in Woburn Sands, while also making sure we can keep taps running and toilets flushing for everyone we already serve.”